Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, April 19, 1993
On April 19, 1993 at about 8:57 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N540PS, was destroyed in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CONTAMINATION (FIBERGLASS DUST) IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AND/OR A PIECE OF PLASTIC (FOREIGN) MATERIAL IN THE FUEL INJECTOR, WHICH RESULTED IN RESTRICTED FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1993 · about 8:57 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III GLASAIR II
- Registration
- N540PS · registry record · serial 10001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT CONDUCTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BECAUSE OF A ROUGH-RUNNING ENGINE. AFTER LANDING, THE GASCOLATOR AND FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLES WERE REMOVED, CLEANED, AND REINSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE. THE FUEL SUMPS WERE DRAINED, AND AN ENGINE RUN-UP WAS CONDUCTED. ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB AT ABOUT 300 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS CONDUCTED RESULTING IN AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE FAA REVEALED FIBERGLASS DUST IN THE MAIN FUEL HEADER TANK, TANK SCREEN, MAIN FUEL FILTER, AND UNDER THE DIAPHRAGM IN THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER. THE ENGINE FUEL INJECTOR (BENDIX MODEL RSA10ED1) WAS PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED. A PIECE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL WAS FOUND IN THE VENTURI PRESSURE CHAMBER SIDE OF THE AIR DIAPHRAGM OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO BLOCK THE PASSAGEWAY TO THE VENTURI. TESTS SHOWED THAT BLOCKAGE OF THE PASSAGEWAY WOULD RESULT IN RESTRICTED FUEL FLOW.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,732 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,732 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 1992; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1H5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH at 8:55 pm
- Destination: LUK Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from TPA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.